The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, a public foundation of the Government of Spain, under the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Ana Leiva, has signed today in Valencia four collaboration agreements to develop projects that promote employment and the environment in the Valencian Community. The mayor of the City Council of Quart de Poblet, Carmen Martínez; the managing director of the Trade Union Institute of Work, Environment and Health (ISTAS), Vicente López, the president of the Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture (SEAE), Juana Labrador, and the rector of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Juan Francisco Juliá, have signed the respective collaboration agreements for a total amount of 1,755,552.33 euros.

The Biodiversity Foundation is the managing body of the European Social Fund (F.S.E.) and in 2008 it allocated 14.8 million euros to finance 32 projects aimed at improving employment and the environment, through the Empleaverde Programme. Four of these initiatives are those that will be developed by Valencian entities.

According to the objectives of the 32 approved projects, it is estimated that more than 13,000 workers will be trained, some 300 enterprises or business activities in the environmental sector will be created or started and more than 300,000 workers will be involved in the activities of the projects.

Within the framework of this programme, the Foundation manages the funds allocated to it by the Operational Programme for Adaptability and Employment of the European Social Fund (F.S.E.) for the period 2007-2013.

The empleaverde programme has set goals for the period 2007-2013 to support more than 50,000 people and promote the creation of 1,000 companies in the environmental sector. To this end, it has a total allocation for the years 2007-2013 of 44.1 million euros, of which the European Social Fund co-finances 80% or 50%, depending on the regions in which they are developed.

Sustainable business activities and initiatives

These four agreements aim to promote the implementation of environmental management and energy efficiency systems in the port logistics sector, promote the sustainability of agricultural systems and contribute to the development of sustainable business initiatives and proposals for action in environmental matters that can be presented to companies. With these projects, it is expected to train more than 900 people and that some 18,000 will participate in the actions. The projects are also expected to contribute to the creation of 39 companies.

The agreement signed with the City Council of Quart de Poblet aims to establish a permanent service in the CIDE (Integral Business Development Center), as a point of reference for advising on local strategies towards sustainability, creating a business incubator that will allow the promotion of actions and activities related to the environmental sector. Likewise, through this project, business meetings will be held in which information will be provided on current issues related to the environment and business relations will be promoted through their representatives.

The initiative proposed by the Trade Union Institute of Labour, Environment and Health (ISTAS) aims to provide a group of workers and delegates from the metal, chemical, textile, wood, ceramics and agri-food sectors with knowledge, tools and personalised advice instruments that allow them to approach the reality of environmental issues in their own workplaces in order to, subsequently, develop specific experiences that culminate in a set of proposals for action in environmental matters that can be presented to the company’s management. A diagnosis of the needs for information, training and environmental advice by workers and delegates in the sectors to which they belong will also be carried out.

For its part, the project of the Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture (SEAE) is aimed at contributing to greater sustainability of agricultural systems and improving their quality, through the diversification and expansion of agricultural activities. In addition, it aims to advise workers on organic farming, promoting the conversion of conventional farms.

Finally, the objective of the project proposed by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) is to improve the environmental performance of SMEs in the logistics-port sector of the Valencian Community and their progressive training for the implementation of environmental management systems and energy efficiency systems certifiable according to international standards. In addition, this initiative aims to improve the work skills and professional qualifications in environmental matters of workers in SMEs in this sector.